Today the foundation stone for the new airberlin and Germania maintenance hangar at BBI Airport City was laid.

Together with Heidelberg investor Harder & Partner airberlin, Germania and Berlin airports celebrated the groundbreaking project with a ceremony on the construction site of the future maintenance hangar in the western part of BBI.

Jürgen B. Harder, Managing Director of Harder & Partner: "Developing the first hangar on the site of the new BBI Airport City and celebrating the laying of its first foundation stone fills us with pride. It is a huge challenge establishing such a project and one which is only made possible through the seamless cooperation of all partners and decision makers.“

Klaus Wowereit, Mayor of Berlin said: "The bringing into service of Berlin Brandenburg Airport means the begin-ning of a new era for aviation in the capital region. I am delighted that Harder, airberlin and Germania are ac-tively using the newly emerging possibilities and oppor-tunities and that the airlines will further reinforce their home base at Willy Brandt Airport with the construction of the maintenance hangar."

Ralf Christoffers, Minister for Economy and European Affairs for the state of Brandenburg said: “An airport is only successful if the airlines accept it and fill it with life. airberlin and Germania declared their support for the Berlin Brandenburg site very early on. Their investment in maintenance capacities substantiates the sustainability of the commitment of both airlines for the new capital airport and is, at the same time, an important signal for the future development of BBI Airport. For maintenance operations are of great significance from the point of view of practicality and competitive service quality of an international airport. I am delighted that high-quality jobs will be created through this location in Schönefeld.“

Joachim Hunold, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) airberlin: “airberlin is a market leader in Berlin. BBI is therefore of central significance for our future. We want to continue to grow here and actively drive forward the expansion of Berlin to make it the airberlin hub. BBI will also benefit from the airline’s planned entry into the global airline alliance oneworld® in 2012. Our knowledge of the capital airport BBI is also reflected in the area of maintenance. From June 2012 the maintenance capacity of airberlin technik will be doubled at the new hangar on the Berlin site. The modern building will also enable comprehensive maintenance work to be carried out, which until now has always had to be diverted to other sites.“

Axel Trampnau, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Germania: “The maintenance hangar will be the core of our new subsidiary Germania Technik Brandenburg (GTB), which is expected to start operations on 1 April this year and which, with the airline Flynext, has already won its first external customer before its official start. The hangar is a clear commitment to the Berlin site and the new BBI Airport and will ensure important synergy effects which will be manifested by similarities with our fleets for example. We are delighted that we will also have at our disposal an ideal infrastructure for the maintenance and servicing of our aircraft.“

Dr. Manfred A. Körtgen, Berlin Airports’ Director of Operations : “The investment of Harder & Partner in BBI is of huge significance for the further development of the site. It reinforces the development of the investment site and is a clear commitment to BBI and its future as a new aviation hub. The maintenance hangar is an important part of the airport infrastructure and, at the same time, a locational factor in the competition of airports among each other. The maintenance plant will support airberlin and Germania flight operations significantly and round off the range of services at BBI. We are delighted to have found strong partners who are convinced of the potential of BBI.“

New maintenance hangar provides space for up to six aircraft

The dimensions of the hangar are some 153 metres long, some 79 metres deep and around 33 metres high (above top ground surface). A total surface area of over 12,000 provides m2 provides space for at least six aircraft of type Airbus A319/A320 or alternatively two long-haul aircraft of type A330. Two thirds of the surface area will be used by airberlin technik and one third by Germania. In addition, there will be 5,000 m2 of office, storage and workshop space, which will also be leased to both airlines.

Once the hangar is in operation around 130 airberlin technik staff will be able to work on up to four medium-haul aircraft in parallel. The new hangar will enable airberlin technik to work on a long-haul aircraft of type A330 in its own hangar for the first time, even in Berlin. Germania Technik Brandenburg will not only entrust the fleet of the parent company to the new location but also other customer aircraft from Flynext. In addition to the two aircraft bays, there will be enormous storage, workshop and office space in the hangar, where the approximately 120 staff will be centrally located.

The hangar will be completed in time for the coming into operation of BBI on 3 June 2012.

The Maintenance Area will be in the western part of the future capital airport BBI. The approximately 32-hectare site will also house the fire station west as well as several technical services. The maintenance area will also have at its disposal its own access checkpoint, thus enabling companies located here to have fast, simple access to the airport.